Short-Term Study Abroad Program Research Articles

Globalizing the Literature Survey in a Short-Term Study Abroad Program

Globalizing the Literature Survey in a Short-Term Study Abroad Program

Korean Nursing Students' Experiences of a Short-term Study Abroad Program in an American College of Nursing

Korean Nursing Students' Experiences of a Short-term Study Abroad Program in an American College of Nursing

U.S.-Based Short-Term Public Health Cultural Immersion Experience for Chinese Undergraduate Students

A U.S. and Chinese university developed a short-term student exchange program in public/community health. The program—which consisted of lectures, seminars, field trips, cross-cultural experiences, and a synthesis excursion—resulted in high levels of program satisfaction, increased intrapersonal awareness, and skill acquisition. Program content and student evaluations indicate that short-term study-abroad programs in the United States may be attractive alternatives or enhancements to long-term academic study for foreign nationals.

A Short-Term Study-Abroad Programme and Changes in Learners' Spoken Performance

A Short-Term Study-Abroad Programme and Changes in Learners' Spoken Performance

Evaluating the pedagogical quality of international summer courses in a university program

The study evaluated the pedagogical quality of 16 university courses in a three-week international summer program. Short-term study-abroad programs have gained increasing popularity, but their pedagogical approaches have not been investigated widely before. Lesson observations, teacher interviews, and course materials were used to investigate the pedagogical approach of the courses. Answers to an online feedback form were used to examine students’ study experiences. The courses were categorized into the following three pedagogical types: Self-directed academic studying, Practices of active learning, and Practices of shared expertise. Based on the survey data, the students valued the second and third types of courses more than the first type. Factors that students mentioned as positive in their open-ended responses were related to high-quality teaching arrangements, expert knowledge and practices, intercultural social interaction, and interesting and useful course content. Innovative pedagogy in international courses would include taking the multicultural assembly of participants into account to support multifaceted knowledge sharing and the development of cultural expertise in the target domain. The results can be used to create criteria and guidelines for subsequent courses, to develop feedback instruments, and in teacher training.

Student Cultural Interaction in a Short-Term Study Abroad Program

ABSTRACTEmpirical studies of the effects of short-term study abroad programs have found mixed results. This study uses a pre-post test design to assess the effect on student cross-cultural adaptability of a 2-week study abroad program to Germany that includes substantial student interaction with Germans. Pretrip to post-trip, students showed a significant increase in personal autonomy. Comparison of pretrip student scores against scale score means identified personal autonomy as the only dimension students were not already significantly above average pretrip. Although Business students demonstrated a significant increase in personal autonomy following the trip, Letters and Sciences students showed no significant change in any of the four cultural dimensions measured.

Factors Affecting the Design of Short-Term Study-Abroad Programs: An Exploratory Study of Two Business Schools

ABSTRACTStudy-abroad programs have played a significant role in globalization of business curricula over the years. Short-term study-abroad programs (STSAPs) are proliferating in business schools and provide a viable alternative of studying abroad to students who are unable to participate in programs of longer durations due to disruption in family, work, and education schedules. This exploratory study attempts to understand factors that are critical to students’ participation in STSAPs offered by business schools. This research focuses on a combination of factors that include STSAP components and attributes as well student specific characterisitics. Initial analysis indicates that STSAP cost, STSAP content, and organizational and personal issues, in that order, are considered important by business school students. Significant differences exist in the perceived importance of different factors used by students to choose to participate in STSAPs based on gender, age group, family income, program level (undergraduate versus graduate), and program type. Results of this research have implications for the design of STSAPs in business schools that are offering or considering offering such courses or programs.

Motivations to Study Abroad: A Case Study of the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences Agribusiness Short-Term Study Abroad Program

The purpose of this study was to gain a better understanding of the student participants’ motivations to partake in a short-term study abroad experience. This was an observational case study of the North Carolina State University College of Agricultural and Life Sciences Agribusiness Short-Term Study Abroad Program with the 2014 program student participants. The study explored student participants’ motivations to participate in a short-term study abroad program. This study found students were motivated to participate in a short-term study abroad program because of the short-term length aspect, the completion of course credits, and encouragement from other people, both other students and faculty.

Motivations to Study Abroad: A Case Study of the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences Agribusiness Short-Term Study Abroad Program

Motivations to Study Abroad: A Case Study of the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences Agribusiness Short-Term Study Abroad Program

Outcomes of an International Audiology Service-Learning Study-Abroad Program.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate students' academic and civic learning, with particular interest in cultural competence, gained through participation in the Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences in Zambia study-abroad program. Twelve female students participated in the program. Quantitative data collected included pre- and postprogram administration of the Public Affairs Scale (Levesque-Bristol & Cornelius-White, 2012) to measure changes in participants' civic learning. Qualitative data included journals, end-of-program reflection papers, videos, and researcher field notes. Feedback was also obtained from community-partner organizations via a questionnaire and rating scale. Comparison of the pre- and postprogram Public Affairs Scale data showed a significant increase in cultural competence and a marginal increase in community engagement at the conclusion of the program. Qualitative data showed that participants' cultural awareness was increased, they benefited from hands-on learning, and they experienced a variety of emotions and emotional and personal growth. Results show that a short-term study-abroad program with a service-learning component can be a mechanism for students to enhance academic and civic learning, specifically cultural competence and clinical skills. Sustainability of programs is a challenge that needs to be addressed.

Contextual factors in second language learning in a short-term study abroad programme in Australia

ABSTRACTThis study explored the experiences and language gains of Chinese-background English language learners living in homestays during a short-term study abroad (SA) programme in Australia. Forty-one learners took part in listening dictation pre- and post-tests to assess their acquisition of idiomatic phrasal verbs, and also completed weekly journals and diaries in which they reflected on their SA and homestay experiences. The journals and diaries were analysed to locate contextual factors which might explain individual learner's performances on the pre- and posts-tests. Most learners improved their ability to hear and transcribe the phrasal verbs, and the analysis of the journals and diaries identified several factors that appeared to contribute to the performance of the high and low achieving learners. The findings are discussed in terms of SA programmes and second language learning processes.

マレーシア・ペナンにおける工学部学部生のための短期海外研修プログラム

This study evaluates the short-term study-abroad program in Penang, Malaysia for undergraduate students of the engineering department of Toyohashi University of Technology. The purpose of this one week program is to gain global perspectives and awareness through experiences such as homestay, interaction with foreign students and visiting academic institutes, companies and world heritage. Penang is internationally known as historical open city, rich in multicultural heritage. Participating students could improve not only their English communication skills but also their professional minds and their attitude towards future activities overseas.

Learning to Lead: Teaching the Millennial Nursing Student Leadership Skills in a Short-Term Immersion Study Abroad Program

This paper presents the strategies used to teach millennial generation nursing students the leadership skills needed to provide quality and safe nursing care in the context of an experiential short-term study abroad program in Jamaica. To achieve this educational goal and to meet the requirements specific to the course, the program was built on a framework of two interrelated approaches: concept-based learning and cultural immersion. Cultural immersion was accomplished through carefully selected site visits, activities, and assignments. Through active-learning projects that used assessment, planning, and implementation, students were required to apply learned nursing knowledge and skills and to demonstrate essential nursing leadership skills. Students’ experiences, reflections, and applications were assessed through formative and summative evaluation.

In Their Own Words: Assessing Global Citizenship in a Short-Term Study-Abroad Program in Bangladesh

ABSTRACTThe article examines whether short-term study-abroad (STSA) experiences can cultivate the cultural understandings and ethical commitments entailed by a cosmopolitan civic education. We examine students’ critical reflections on their participation in a two-week study-abroad program titled Climate Change and Sustainable Development in Bangladesh. Based on our analysis of student reflective essays, we argue that a well-designed STSA with multiple dialogical encounters with diverse constituents in the host county can provide students with significant opportunities to deepen and complicate their understanding of themselves as citizens with local, national, and global responsibilities. We use the study trip to Bangladesh as a “high impact” case study exploring the possibilities of STSA as a form of “dialogical cosmopolitan education.”

International Supply Chain Management Courses: Semester-Long Versus Study-Abroad Formats

Short-term study-abroad programs are gaining in popularity at business schools around the United States. We discuss the innovative 4-week program we have developed at Duquesne University where we offer two three-credit, required business core courses. In particular, we focus on the structure of a 2-week core supply chain management course. By analyzing student performance on a common final examination, we show that the study-abroad students attain the same level of mastery of the course material as students do over a semester-long course.

간호대학생의 전공 융합 프로그램을 통한 해외 단기연수 경험

간호대학생의 전공 융합 프로그램을 통한 해외 단기연수 경험

Students’ Expectations and Conclusions Based on a Short-term Study-abroad Program

Students’ Expectations and Conclusions Based on a Short-term Study-abroad Program

Letter from the Editors: Special Issue on Student Internships

This editorial article introduces the special issue of AIB Insights focused on Student Internships. The issue includes “Note on a Gallup-Purdue University Study and Related Articles: Useful Internships Improve University Graduates Chances of Full-Time Work” by Romie Frederick Littrell; “Short-Term Faculty-Led Study Abroad Programs - Lessons from the CEU Business School New York City Program” by Bala Mulloth, Mel Horwitch, and Erin Newton; “Internships Abroad: A Career Booster for German Students” by Pascal Cromm and Karin Kadow ; and “Increasing Students’ Global Mindset and Entrepreneurial Competencies through E-Consulting Projects” by Amanda Bullough.

Changes in Second-Language Learners’ Oral Skills and Socio-Affective Profiles Following Study Abroad: A Mixed-Methods Approach

Abstract: Research on the effectiveness of short-term study-abroad (SA) programs for improving oral skills has shown mixed results. In this study, 24 L2 German learners (L1 English) provided pre- and post-SA speech samples addressing a hypothetical situation and completed surveys on cross-cultural interest and adaptability; L2 communication affect, strategies, perceived competence; and L2 contact. Native speakers (NSs) provided ratings for pronunciation, fluency, grammar, vocabulary, and accentedness. Results revealed significant improvement in all oral skills and positive changes in the socio-affective factors. Participants who reported more positive affect in interactions with NSs pre-SA tended to spend more hours in extended interactions with them while abroad. These hours were related to increased positive communication affect post-SA. No significant relationships were found between L2 contact and gains in oral skills. Homestay experiences were positive, providing opportunities for extended interactions and cultural knowledge. For classroom learners, findings suggest a role for e-languaging tasks with NSs.

Service-Learning, Sustainability, and the Need for Cosmopolitan Experiences in Undergraduate Education: A View from Anthropology

To become citizens of the world, students must understand with their heads, hands, and hearts the complex realities that people live within in a globalizing but nonetheless richly diverse world. A short-term study-abroad program, while brief in duration, may profoundly affect student learning and, indeed, transform life paths by providing students real experiences of cosmopolitan consciousness. The program described below and represented by the accompanying videos focuses on immersive, service-based learning in Costa Rica for the purpose of exploring sustainability in its multiple registers—social, environmental, and economic. Student reflection and commentary from our Costa Rican host institution confirm that programs such as this contribute critical insight toward the formation of globally competent citizens.